Godzilla, King of the Monsters
Category:ArticlesCategory:Films | running time = 80 min. | country = Japan/USA | language = Japanese/English | budget = $650,000 | gross revenue = | preceded by = | followed by = King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) }} Godzilla, King of the Monsters! is a joint Japanese/American feature film of the science fiction and horror genres. It is a soft remake of the original 1954 film Gojira, which incorporates new U.S. footage edited into the original film, excising many scenes from the original in the process. Gojira director Ishirô Honda collaborated with Terry O. Morse in directing the new scenes which featured American actor Raymond Burr and several Japanese-American actors, some of whom served as stand-ins for original cast members in an effort to interweave new scenes with the original story. The movie was licensed from Toho Company, Ltd. and produced by Jewell Enterprises, Inc. and Embassy Pictures. It was released through TransWorld Releasing Corp. in the United States on April 27th, 1956. Plot An American news reporter named Steve Martin travels to Japan to visit his old colleague Daisuke Serizawa. As he arrives he is but one of many airline passengers who are questioned by Tokyo police. Steve learns that a Japanese commercial vessel was destroyed outside Tokyo Bay. Witnesses claimed that the water itself seemed to catch on fire and no one could explain the strange phenomenon. Steve’s airline had passed near the scene of the incident but none of the passengers actually witnessed the event. Revealing himself as a reporter for the Global World News out of Chicago, he offers his aid to the beleaguered police department. The following day, Steve and a security specialist named Tomo Iwanaga travel to Oto Island, where presumably wreckage of the destroyed vessel had been seen washing up on shore. The natives claim to have seen a disturbing creature reminiscent of a monster from their ancient myths - Godzilla. Before long, Godzilla emerges again and destroys several more sea vessels. The Japanese officials learn that Tokyo may be seriously threatened and decide to take measures against Godzilla’s rampage. They erect a barrier of electrified power stations all along the shore of Tokyo Bay. Godzilla easily ravages the power stations and the Japanese call out the National Guard to evacuate the city. At this point, the people of Tokyo realize an even greater terror. Godzilla utilizes an atomic breath weapon to set the entire city ablaze. Tanks and heavy artillery prove useless, and before long Godzilla crushes the press staff building. Steve Martin is buried beneath a ton of rubble but miraculously survives. A few days later, Steve's friend Emiko Yamane tells him of a great secret she has learned. Emiko and Steve's friend Doctor Serizawa has developed a tremendous weapon, which destroys the oxygen cells within biological organisms. Serizawa is reluctant to utilize the weapon because of the danger it represents. Left with little choice but to use the Oxygen Destroyer, Doctor Serizawa and colleague Hideto Ogata descend deep into Tokyo Bay where Godzilla lies sleeping. The weapon is released and Ogata returns to the surface. Serizawa however, guilt ridden over creating such a destructive device, cuts his lifeline and remains underwater. He is consumed by his own weapon and quickly dies. Godzilla awakens and thrashes about in his own savage death-throes. Eventually however, his body disintegrates into a skeleton and finally disappears all together. Cast U.S. version Original cast Uncredited cast Notes & Trivia * Godzilla, King of the Monsters! was eventually cycled back to Japan where it was released on May 29th, 1957 under the title, Kaiju Ō Gojira, which is translated as "Monster King Godzilla". * Godzilla, King of the Monsters! is included on disc two of the Gojira DVD set by Classic Media, which was released on September 5th, 2006. * Actress Momoko Kôchi is credited as Momoko Kochi in this film. * This is the final film work for actor Frank Iwanaga. Differences from Gojira * The character of Steve Martin, played and narrated by Raymond Burr, is exclusive to the U.S. version and does not appear in the Japanese version. Recommendations See also External Links * * * * Godzilla, King of the Monsters! at Wikipedia * * * * * * References ---- Category:Godzilla, King of the Monsters/Media Category:Toho Company, Ltd. Category:1956/Films Category:April, 1956/Films Category:1st installments Category:Black and white films Category:Remade Category:Ishiro Honda Category:Terry O. Morse Category:Takeo Murata Category:Al C. Ward Category:Tomoyuki Tanaka Category:Akira Ifukube Category:Masao Tamai Category:Guy Roe Category:Raymond Burr Category:James Hong Category:Sammee Tong Category:Takashi Shimura Category:Momoko Kochi Category:Akira Takarada Category:Akihiko Hirata Category:Haruo Nakajima Category:Ryosaku Takasugi Category:Katsumi Tezuka Category:Films with plot summaries